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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tikbalang (also written as
Tigbalang, Tigbalan, or
Tikbalan) is a creature of Philippine folklore said to lurk in the
mountains and forests of the Philippines. It is generally described as a
tall, bony humanoid creature with disproportionately long limbs, to
the point that its knees reach above its head when it squats
down.[1]
It has the head and feet of an animal, most commonly a horse. It is sometimes believed to
be a transformation of an abortedfetus which has been sent to earth from limbo.[2]

Contents

Superstitions

Tikbalangs are said to scare travelers and lead them astray.
Tikbalangs play tricks on travelers such that they keep on
returning to an arbitrary path no matter how far he goes or where
he turns. Supposedly this is counteracted by wearing one's shirt
inside out.[3]
Another countermeasure is to ask permission out loud to pass by or,
not to produce too much noise while in the woods in order not to
offend or disturb the tikbalang.

A common saying has it that rain from a clear sky means may
kinakasal na tikbalang. or kinakasal si ORLAN(Filipino,
"a tikbalang is getting married". "ORLAN is getting Married)[3]
This was most likely derived from a similar Spanish proverb that claimed a witch was
getting married when there was rain on a sunny day.

According to traditional folklore, the tikbalang can also transform itself
into human form or turn invisible to humans. They like to lead
travelers astray.[1]

Tikbalang are generally associated with dark, sparsely
populated, foliage-overgrown areas, with legends variously
identifying their abode as being beneath bridges, in Bamboo or
Banana groves, and atop Kalumpang[4]
or Balete trees.

Taming a
tikbalang

By one account a tikbalang has a mane of sharp spines, with the
three thickest of these being of particular importance. A person
who obtains one of these spines can use them as an anting-anting (talisman) in order to keep the
tikbalang as his servant. The tikbalang must first be subdued,
however, by leaping onto it and tying it with a specially-prepared
cord. The would-be-tamer must then hang on while the creature flies
through the air, fighting madly to dislodge its unwelcome rider,
until it is exhausted and acknowledges its defeat.[2]

In popular
culture

Literature

X-Men and Wetworks illustrator Whilce Portacio
has created a comic book series called Stone: The Awakening, which
features Filipino legendary creatures, including the
tikbalang.

A tale including a tikbalang appears in When the Elephants
Dance by Tess Uriza Holthe. The wise creature
mentors a young Filipino man who can see ghosts that haven't yet
passed on.

A tikbalang is the antagonist of the issue "Rules of the Race"
in the comic Trese, where it engages in street races with
unwitting drivers.[6]

Tikbalang Kung Kabilugan ng Buwan is a child-friendly
telling of the Tikbalang mythos - written by Victoria Añonuevo,
illustrated by Kora Dandan-Albano and released by Adarna House -
intended to familarize young Filipino audiences with Philippine
Mythological creatures. In the story, a Tikbalang becomes lonely
for lack of a playmate during the full moon, a time when Filipino
children of generations past traditionally went out to play in the
moonlight. In search for a playmate, the Tikbalang leaves his home
in the Kalumpang tree and encounters first a Kapre, then a Nuno, an Aswang, and a Tiyanak, before he finally meets another
Tikbalang as a suitable playmate.[4]

Film

The 2008 film Dayo features the Tikbalang as one of the
main creatures of the story.

A 2010 indie film is to be released exclusively in BULACAN
titled "Ang mga hiwaga ni ORLANG TIKBALANG"

Music

The Filipino hardcore band, Tame the Tikbalang is named after
this creature, and the common motiff of "taming" one.

Video
games

The popular MMORPGWorld of
Warcraft features a character named "Griftah" who
sells an amulet called an "Infallible Tikbalang Ward". The
accompanying text states, "With this trusty warding talisman, no
tikbalang will ever find you and steal you away to the treetops. It
really works!" It should be noted that, when an item in World of
Warcraft is said to "really work", it seldom does; naturally,
tikbalangs are not found in the game.